The war that the United States waged in Laos between 1964 and 1973 wasn’t secret to everyone, despite its generally accepted moniker as a secret war. 270 million cluster bombs were dropped on Laos as overflow from the conflict in Vietnam, in addition to four million larger bombs. As many as 80 million of those bombs never detonated, burrowing themselves into the earth in Laos, waiting to be exploded. And explode they do. Laotians frequently set off these ordinances that result in the maiming or death of those who stumble into them.
Despite the fact that these bombs are still a present and prescient part of Laotian life, Laos continues to move forward. In a recent story with National Geographic, “Life After the Bombs,” Stephen Wilkes traveled to Laos to capture what life is like there now, almost a half century after the bombing has stopped – while the presence of the bombs are still acutely felt.
There’s no denying that this is an American legacy. They are American bombs, and the injuries that are caused today are continued violence against a people who were caught in American crosshairs (in the most brutal sense of the phrase). But on Stephen’s trip through Laos what he walked away with is that life is continuing to move forward. As T. D. Allman, the writer of the story that Stephen’s photographs accompanies, reports, a scarred past with a potentially violent present isn’t holding anyone back in the future. “These people have an extraordinary ability to forgive and persevere,” Stephen tells National Geographic. “I hope this piece opens American eyes to the tragedies of the war and that, as a nation, we begin accepting our responsibility to do more.”
Stephen’s photographs tell the tale as consciously as the sentiment with pockmarked rice fields, and the adoption of bomb casings as planters. The bombs are a part of Laotian life more than in their potential destruction: artisans and entrepreneurs are using the metals from the ordinances for the creation of silverware, bracelets, and the inspiration for woven goods. It is no consolation for the violence visited upon a people who never invited it, but it is a testament to their way of life that if they don’t receive deserved aid, they will find a way to make it through.
You can read the National Geographic story on their website, and follow along on their Instagram while they feature Stephen's images from the story.

The last time Joe Pugliese shot U2, they wrapped up with an offer: U2’s management said that Joe could attend any LA show that he wanted provided he gave them a head’s up. But Joe wasn’t going to be in town, so he couldn’t take them up on it. “I was bummed out,” Joe says. Fast forward a few weeks he’s in New York City and hears through the grapevine that U2 has just started their eight day residency at Madison Square Garden but he’s about to go back home to California the next day. He decides to give it a shot anyway. “So I emailed the manager and he said yes and got me a photo pass so I could take pictures,” says Joe. “I went to Madison Square Garden with my wife as my assistant and we basically just had a full run of the place.”
Typically, U2 only gives the visiting photographers a narrow list of songs (usually the first four) to take however many photographs they want, and then they must put their cameras away to provide a unique experience to those who attend the shows. But they let Joe keep going. This space for creative freedom has been a theme in Joe’s relationship with U2 over the past years. “They want to see what my ideas are. They let me do my ideas. They didn’t force any kind of vision,” says Joe. “They’re arguably the biggest rock band in the world still playing and they did not act like it.” Musical acts like U2 have the luxury of calling all the shots in whatever room they walk into. But with Joe Pugliese, they meet him on common ground.
Joe’s experiences with U2 haven’t only been fulfilling creatively, but they’ve also closed a sort of circle of influence in his life. “For me it’s just the legacy,” says Joe. “There aren’t too many acts that can do eight nights at Madison Square Garden, especially acts that have been around for thirty years. I grew up with them.” After decades of performing, U2 is still operating at the peak of their abilities. As they continue to develop their craft, they include all manner of artists to help them tell their stories. Luckily for all of us, Joe Pugliese is one of them.
Check out the images that Joe exclusively captured at U2’s July 19 performance at Madison Square Garden.

There are few places that offer the solitude of the bathroom. In an age where we’re constantly in contact with one another and always finding new ways to interact with our worlds, the bathroom offers a type of sanctuary that is unparalleled. With very few exceptions, it’s the one place where you can always count on being alone, and that is something that should be celebrated.
For their latest advertisement spot, Victoria Plum was looking to create a visual representation of this celebration, showing off their fixtures and products. Bose Collins, the CGI company that Victoria Plum tapped for the advertisement, looked to Busby Berkeley for inspiration. You’re already familiar with Busby Berkeley, even if you didn’t know. Busby is best known for his films with intense choreography and synchronicity. “We wanted to have this element of Alice in Wonderland or the tunnel in Charlie in the Chocolate Factory,” explains Nathan Collins of Bose Collins. “We wanted it to be a bit of a ride.” Looking specifically to Berkeley choreography with swimmers, the video becomes a sort of sink and faucet kaleidoscopic hallucination. The clean lines and fresh feeling of Victoria Plum’s products are the perfect squeaky clean base for such an imaginative visualization.
To achieve this look, Bose Collins had to manage a breathtaking amount of assets and imagery. The only way to do that successfully was to plan for everything. “We storyboarded it to a really, really high level,” says Nathan. “And when we shot it, we shot all the elements.” Operating two parallel sessions, every element seen on screen was photographed and filmed by the Bose Collins team to ensure they had everything they needed. Then through the challenging process of fitting everything together as smoothly as possible they were able to achieve this homage to classic Hollywood inspiration.
When creating an entire alternate with all these elements they were shooting from real life, it was impossible for Bose Collins to know exactly what it was going to look like until they started piecing it together. That moment, when everything came together for the first time, was a remarkable event for the team at Bose Collins. When asked what the most satisfying moment of the production was, Nathan didn’t have to think very long: “Putting together the first edit of the live action shoot, the moment when we locked in with the music and got a sense of what it was going to be. It’s quite satisfying that we can bring this thing to life how we imagined it.”

For most, their introduction to King Arthur is the story of the sword in the stone. Arthur, a peasant boy, ends England’s Dark Ages when he draws a mystical sword (Excalibur) from a stone, beginning his reign as king. The truth is far more complex. Guy Richie’s forthcoming film, Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur, examines these tales with Charlie Hunnam as the epically beloved king of epic. Richie’s energetic style is poised to recontextualize these classic stories for all lovers of legend placing a huge weight on Hunnam’s shoulders, one that his fans are certain he can uphold.
When Marc Hom met Hunnam on set for Entertainment Weekly’s cover shoot, it was an exciting experience for everyone. They were on the verge of wrapping up principal production for the film, and the mood was jovial. Marc’s goal was to find where Charlie Hunnam and King Arthur met in one man. After working on this character for so long, the line between actor and character is bound to blur and in that space is room for authentic moments. “We actually got full access to go on set which was incredible,” explains Marc. “Just that freedom to take it out of context a little bit: that was what I wanted to do. So it didn’t feel like a still photograph from the movie.” By finding where King Arthur and Charlie Hunnam merge they were able to present that moment with compelling imagery.
The obsession with image that has dominated the conversation of celebrity over the last decade seems to be falling away, at least in Marc’s experience. And everyone stands to benefit from being generous collaborators. What Marc noticed most about working with Hunnam is his willingness to work with Marc as a collaborator. “This generation of actors is more open to going for the ideas and being a little looser,” Marc explains. “Charlie was really great. He was in a very good mood. Everybody was very happy.” That positive set meant authentic moments came through making for photos that pair perfectly with EW’s aptly named story, “The Sword and the Stone Cold Fox.”

Tiffany Patton is making a habit out of proving dramatic styling is wearable, as evidenced by her recent editorial with Refinery29. In “Cat-Eye Liner Just Got A Lot Cooler,” her work shows that this timeless feline inspired makeup can fit into any lifestyle. Suffused with drama, the designs are bold in their application, but remain completely accessible. As Refinery29 points out, this look can be tracked back through decades of celebrity fashion, but they left it to Tiffany to update it for every day wear. Take a look and let Tiffany inspire you to challenge your own flair.
Fashion is only as good as you can wear it, and with their latest style of “Seriously Stretchy Jeans” Aéropostale is working to make their clothes as wearable as possible. In a new ad that stretches from a rooftop in DUMBO overlooking the Manhattan Bridge to a warehouse in Greenpoint, they highlight jeans that are so fun to wear you’ll want to dance in them. Tiffany was on hand to make sure the make up was as flawless as the choreography. Dancing to music that includes the lyric, “I run New York,” the ladies in the video look effortless as Brooklyn is supposed to be. Tiffany’s light hand was all about accentuating the natural assets of the dancers, while keeping them fresh faced and energized, so their looks really pop.
Check out the video below.

Over the past few years Mr. Bingo has sent 928 Postcards, mainly to strangers, that are incredibly, and scathingly offensive. He’s turned it into a project that he calls “Hate Mail,” where participants pay him real, hard earned money to insult them through the mail. Who knew it could be so lucrative?
Part of working this way is that very few people are exposed to the work that Mr. Bingo is doing. “It’s an interesting project because each postcard is owned by one person and they’re the only person who has really seen that artwork,” he explains. “The best way to show work like that is to do a website or a blog or something or a book. And books are beautiful.” Books are beautiful, so he decided that he should probably put a bunch of these postcards into a book and let people buy it. So that’s what he’s doing with the upcoming release of “Hate Mail: The Definitive Collection.” Instead of pairing with a publisher, Bingo has opted to create the book from the ground up, using Kickstarter to fund every page of the monstrosity. The campaign launched on July 6 with the goal of £35k. That was almost a month ago. At publication this morning, Bingo had already reached £109,614. We’ll do the math for you: it’s a lot more than he was even hoping for.
“Pretty crazy, pretty overwhelming. I wasn’t expecting anything,” Bingo says, reacting to seeing this incredible response. The backing of over three thousand people has forced Bingo to expand what he’s able to offer through the campaign, resulting in some creative solutions that have got people to fork over their hard earned dollars – including, but not limited to, buying a friendship with the artist. Bingo’s favorite reward? “Get Shitfaced on a Train.” The 20 backers who pledged £150 will get to spend 4 hours on a train with Mr. Bingo with booze and snacks. “I also really like the ‘Meet Me For a Pint in 5 Years Time’ because it’s really quite dark and quite bizarre.” Although most of the unique rewards have already been greedily claimed, there are still a few days left on the campaign, giving future backers the opportunity to buy as many books as they could want.
For Mr. Bingo, this way of funding a project is particularly satisfying. "It’s really lovely to be creating work that’s funded by the public and just individual people who really like it and want to get behind it," he says. "It just means more to get it public funded." If you like what you see you better get on this train. There are only five days left on the campaign.

Every year Communication Arts, one of the premier creative publications in the world, releases the "Photo Annual" that includes a list of photographers whose work they consider the best in visual communication around the world. Three of our photographers won the distinction of being recognized for stories they contributed over the last year. We congratulate Joe Pugliese, Michael Warren, and Stephen Wilkes for this honor.
These are the stories that grabbed Communication Arts' attention:
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Joe Pugliese had the chance to photograph the cast of Mad Men for the cover of The Hollywood Reporter immediately ahead of the series finale. Joe had been a fan of the series since the beginning, so it was an honor and a personal achievement to help them strike the perfect tone. I didn’t want it to feel period,” says Joe. “I wanted to just ride that line between the characters we all know and their actual real life personalities.” Communication Arts pulls out the photograph of Jon Hamm as the perfect example and encapsulation of this show that was at once a period piece but also a portrait of how the American psyche has developed, how the American dream plays on a life, and what a man becomes to succeed in our culture.
Check out the full story here:
Joe Pugliese Gets the Last Shot at Mad Men
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For weeks, Michael Warren traveled the world to understand Total Energy and how they impact the world. As Michael reminds us. “France has no [energy] resources of their own so they have their fingers in all these other places all over the world. They’re trying to do something good.” Total Energy takes responsibility for the world because the world is their partner. Their reach is global, so their outreach is equally global. They are giving back in as many communities as possible, including communities in Africa where they’ve constructed solar powered lights that allow the local workers to continue producing after the sun has set. It’s improving their productivity and changing their local government for the better. Communication Arts highlighted one photograph of some women in Indonesia that perfectly encapsulated how Total is committed to powering people.
Check out the full story here:
Michael Warren Travels the Total World
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Walking through Terminal 3 at the Dubai Airport could be described as walking into the future. But as Stephen Wilkes’ story with Vanity Fair proved: it’s very much the present. The West has fallen behind when it comes to commercial aviation and few reminders are as stark as the hub in Dubai. Stephen was granted unprecedented access to get a full view of the working at Terminal 3, including the opportunity to create a sweeping time-lapse video. Communication Arts focused on the scope of the airport (and their gigantic AirBuses) that looks almost like an enclosed city. Here’s to a lifestyle of travel we can all look forward to.
Check out the full story here:
Stephen Wilkes Introduces Us to the Future of International Aviation